Financing
New China Life places at bottom of pricing range in dual listing
New China Life Insurance, which is part-owned by several private equity firms, has priced at the bottom of its range to raise $1.9 billion in its dual Hong Kong and Shanghai listing, becoming the latest player to see disappointing results in Greater China....
Prudential, Woori in mix for Tong Yang stake - report
Trade players including US-based insurance major Prudential Financial and Korean financing services firm Woori Finance Holdings are reportedly considering bids for South Korea's Tong Yang Life Insurance, which is 60.7%-owned by Vogo Fund.
Warburg becomes an investor in Haitong IPO
Warburg Pincus Private Equity has become a cornerstone investor in the IPO of Chinese brokerage Haitong Securities, buying $210 million worth of shares as part of a potential $1.7 billion raise by the company.
Hana's board approves $3.5b KEB purchase
Hana Financial Group has approved a plan to acquire the 51% stake in Korea Exchange Bank (KEB) held by US buyout fund Lone Star for KRW3.92 trillion ($3.5 billion). Pending regulatory approval, the transaction could be completed by the year’s end, signaling...
Update: Lone Star may sell KEB for 11% less
Lone Star is reportedly looking to sell its stake in Korea Exchange Bank (KEB) to Hana Financial Group at an 11% discount to its previously discussed price of KRW4.4 trillion ($3.8 billion). That price is a further reduction on the 7% discount reported...
Lone Star may sell KEB for 7% less - report
Lone Star is reportedly nearing the sale of Korea Exchange Bank (KEB) to Hana Financial Group at a 7% discount to the KRW4.4 trillion ($3.8 billion) offer price. If agreed, the move would highlight the pressure that embattled Lone Star faces to offload...
Korean regulators to investigate KEB
South Korean regulators have launched a probe into the inside operations of Korea Exchange Bank (KEB) to ensure that the lender complied with court orders to fire members of its board related to embattled owner Lone Star.
SKS Microfinance Chairman Vikram Akula resigns
The founder and chairman of embattled microlender SKS Finance, Vikram Akula, has resigned his post after 14 years at the firm. It comes as the publicly listed lender looks to recoup costs amid an increasingly difficult business environment.
BofA sold CCB shares to Temasek, Chinese institutions
A group comprising of Singapore’s second-largest sovereign wealth fund Temasek and several Chinese institutions have materialized as the buyers of the 10.4 billion shares in China Construction Bank (CCB) sold by Bank of America (BofA) for nearly $6.6...
Goldman dilutes stake in ICBC for $1.1b
Goldman Sachs has divested $1.1 billion worth of shares in Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC), bringing the total capital it has raised across three sell-downs to $5.26 billion.
Chinatrust Financial plans $300m maiden VC fund
Taiwan’s third-largest financial services firm Chinatrust Financial is raising a $300 million venture capital fund – its first - targeting Taiwanese companies operating in China.
SKS Microfinance looks to raise $183m through share sale
The board of SKS Microfinance has approved a motion to raise an additional INR9 billion ($183.2 million) through a share sale to private institutional investors.
Asia property funds not suffering from European bank pullback
Most large Asian real estate funds are not suffering from a pullback in lending as a result of the euro zone difficulties because their exposure to European banks is minimal, according to a survey by the Asia Pacific Real Estate Association.
Affinity picks up 70% stake in Australia's Primo Smallgoods
Affinity Equity Partners has finalized its acquisition of Australian meat products firm Primo Smallgoods in a deal that values the company at A$740 million ($758 million). Previous reports suggested that the valuation was at least A$900 million.
Affinity completes acquisiton of Primo Smallgoods
Affinity Equity Partners has officially acquired Australian deli meats producer Primo Smallgoods with the help of A$580 million ($563 million) in financing, sources told Reuters.
Lone Star decides against Korean court appeal - report
Lone Star has reportedly decided against appealing a Korean court’s ruling that it should pay KRW25 billion ($21 million) for manipulating the stock prices of the Korea Exchange Bank in 2003.
Asia buyouts struggle as banks clamp down on lending
Buyout deals in Asia are becoming more difficult as banks hold back on lending. Rising capital costs have made lenders wary of the risks tied to mispricing a loan, leaving private equity firms to increase the cash portion of buyouts.
Lone Star Korea's former head Paul Yoo files court appeal
Paul Yoo, former head of Lone Star in Korea, has appealed to Korea’s Supreme Court over his conviction for manipulating the stock price of Korea Exchange Bank (KEB) in 2003, Dow Jones reported.
Coffee Day subsidiary Way2Wealth gets $30m from KKR
Indian boutique financial services firm Way2Wealth will receive $30 million from KKR in what is expected to be a structured financing deal rather than a typical private equity placement.
Bain gets $1.1b recapitalization loan for Japan's Bellsystem24
Bain Capital has completed a JPY87.5 billion ($1.1 billion) recapitalization for portfolio company Bellsystem24, a telemarketing firm specializing in call centers, according to Basis Point.
Lone Star found guilty of manipulating KEB's stocks
A Seoul court has found US buyout fund Lone Star guilty of manipulating the stock prices of Korea Exchange Bank (KEB) in 2003, and has ordered the fund to pay KRW25 billion ($21 million) in damages.
CDIB hires Justin Busarakamwong as SVP in Hong Kong
CDIB Capital, the overseas investment arm of China Development Financial Holding Corporation, has appointed former executive director at StormHarbour Securities Justin Busarakamwong as a senior vice president based in Hong Kong.
Fund formation: Singapore asserts its onshore qualities
Until two months ago, Han Ming Ho, a Singapore-based partner at Clifford Chance specializing in fund formation, had never heard of buyout firms using his home city as a conduit for investments into Australia. “It had never been mentioned before and then...
Sumitomo Mitsui looks to acquire distressed lender Promise Co.
Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group, Japan’s second-largest lender, will make a $2.6 billion tender offer for all shares it does not already own in distressed consumer lender Promise Co.